Jessica Malnik

What I’ve Been Reading: May Reading Recs

On the last Sunday of every month, I share recommendations to 4 thought-provoking things I read – or in some cases – listened to in the last month.

1. The pursuit of happiness is baked into the U.S. Declaration of Independence. As a country, we’re obsessed with seeking happiness. As this long read suggests, while we all want happiness, the things that we chase that we think will make us happy – like fancy cars and more material things, rarely do.

“If happiness is determined by expectations, then two pillars of our society – mass media and the advertising industry – may unwittingly be depleting the globe’s reservoirs of contentment.”

4. “You are never going to be happy with what you get unless you are happy with what you have.” Warning: Grab tissues before you watch this video.

What are you reading right now? Drop me an email, and let me know. The only thing I love more than reading is getting thoughtful recommendations for what I should read next.

*An earlier version of this post went out to my email subscribers. If you want to get first dibs on what I’m reading and the occasional update (I never send more than 2 emails per month), sign up here.